Electric Drivetrain for Commercial Trucks Patent Landscape
The electric drivetrain for commercial trucks patent space is a growth-stage, highly concentrated field of 32 patent families, with HYROAD NETWORKS LLC holding the largest position. Filing activity expanded sharply on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak and the United States dominates both origination and protection.
HYROAD NETWORKS leads a small, concentrated applicant field
HYROAD NETWORKS LLC holds the leading position among all filers, followed by HEXAGON PURUS NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC and GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, each with five patent families. The top five applicants collectively account for 85% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, signaling an unusually concentrated competitive structure for a technology in the growth phase.
A clear tier gap separates the leader from the second-tier players. HYROAD NETWORKS LLC’s count is more than double that of either second-ranked applicant, and the fourth and fifth positions (Volvo Truck Corp with three and PACCAR INC with two patent families) represent a further step down. Beyond the top five, all remaining ranked applicants hold a single patent family each, underscoring how thin the long tail is.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HYROAD NETWORKS LLC | 13 | |
| 2 | HEXAGON PURUS NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC | 5 | |
| 3 | GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC | 5 | |
| 4 | VOLVO TRUCK CORP | 3 | |
| 5 | PACCAR INC | 2 | |
| 6 | LCB INTERNATIONAL INC | 1 | |
| 7 | CHONGQING JINKANG NEW ENERGY VEHICLE CO LTD | 1 | |
| 8 | AUTONOMOUS HEAVY TRUCK SOLUTIONS LLC | 1 | |
| 9 | SF MOTORS INC | 1 | |
| 10 | GL BAJAJ INST OF TECH & MANAGEMENT | 1 |
This concentration implies that a small number of entities currently define the core claim space. For an engineer evaluating entry, the implication is that avoiding overlap with HYROAD NETWORKS’ B60L50 and H02J7 clusters is a necessary first step, while the thin coverage of several adjacent branches leaves room for differentiated filing strategies.
The most recent 18–24 months of filing data are subject to publication lag and will likely show upward revision as pending applications publish. Corpus scope is limited to the 32 patent families retrieved; broader freedom-to-operate analysis may require additional searches.
Rapid multi-year growth with B60L propulsion as the dominant technical axis
Two charts together show when activity accelerated and where it is technically concentrated. The filing trend reveals the growth trajectory and peak year; the technology composition reveals which IPC branches define the core and which remain sparse.
Annual filing trend
Filings were negligible through 2020, then surged in 2021 and reached their highest annual count in 2022 before easing. The 2023–2025 bars should be read as understated due to publication lag; the multi-year window still shows 90% growth versus the prior comparable period. Do not interpret the post-2022 step-down as a structural decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B60L (electric vehicle propulsion) is the commanding branch, reflecting the core drivetrain focus. B60K (vehicle propulsion and drive), H01M (batteries and fuel cells), and H02J (power supply and grid systems) each form a secondary cluster. Branches such as B60W (hybrid/joint vehicle control), G01R (electric and magnetic measurement), and several chassis-related classes carry only one to three records, marking them as adjacent and under-served.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Dual loop liquid cooling of integrated electric dr…
Provided herein are systems and methods for cooling an electric drivetrain of an electric vehicle. The electric drivetrain can include an inverter, a gearbox and a motor. A first cooling system can use ethylene glycol and water (EGW) based coolant, and can include an EGW coolant loop to distribute the EGW based coolant to remove heat from a cold plate of… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electric vehicle battery frame assembly | 63 |
| 2 | Electric vehicle battery frame assembly | 29 |
| 3 | Dual loop liquid cooling of integrated electric dr… | 23 |
| 4 | Battery packs for utility vehicle electric drivetr… | 14 |
| 5 | Battery packs for utility vehicle electric drivetr… | 14 |
| 6 | High voltage electrical system for battery electri… | 12 |
| 7 | Battery pack for battery electric vehicle | 11 |
| 8 | Electric vehicle battery frame assembly | 8 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the patent structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of high concentration, growth-stage lifecycle, US-centric geography, and thin adjacent branches creates a specific set of considerations for teams deciding where to file and where to differentiate.
Growth stage with annual volume easing from a 2022 peak
The field is classified as Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits well above the prior three-year window, representing 90% growth. Annual volume peaked in 2022 and has since eased, though the most recent years are further understated by publication lag. This positioning means core claim space is still being staked, but the window for establishing foundational positions is narrowing.
Growth stageTop five filers hold 85% of the hundred largest filers’ share
The top five applicants — HYROAD NETWORKS LLC, HEXAGON PURUS NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC, GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, VOLVO TRUCK CORP, and PACCAR INC — account for 85% of the top-100 filers’ combined total. This is an unusually high concentration for a growth-stage field, indicating that a handful of entities have moved quickly to anchor the core IP space. New entrants face a defined set of blocking positions in B60L50 and H02J7.
Highly concentratedOne co-filing relationship identified: Seres Automobile and SF Motors
The evidence shows a single active co-applicant relationship: Seres Automobile Co., Ltd. and SF Motors Inc. share one jointly filed patent family, concentrated in H02K (electric motors and generators). The broader applicant list consists entirely of independent filers, suggesting that cross-entity collaboration has not yet become a significant feature of this space. Teams looking to accelerate via partnership face a relatively open collaboration landscape.
Limited co-filingUS-centric protection with limited international reach
The United States accounts for 25 of the jurisdiction-level records, making it the overwhelmingly dominant protection venue. WIPO (PCT) filings stand at three and EPO at two, with single records each in Canada and India. This narrow geographic spread means that non-US protection for most of the existing families is limited or absent, creating potential freedom to operate in European and Asian markets for competitors willing to file there.
US-dominantGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Seres Automobile Co., Ltd. | SF MOTORS INC | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
HYROAD NETWORKS dominates; GM, Hexagon Purus, and Volvo enter as new challengers
The leader holds a position more than double any single challenger. All momentum-tracked applicants are classified as new entrants, meaning their recent filing windows represent their initial establishment of positions in this space.
HYROAD NETWORKS LLC
HYROAD NETWORKS LLC holds 13 patent families, the largest position in the corpus. Its technical emphasis is concentrated in B60L 50 (electric vehicle propulsion, 13 records) and H02J 7 (power supply and grid systems, 5 records), with secondary coverage in B60K 1 (vehicle propulsion and drive). Its applicant momentum is classified as a new entrant with 7 recent filings, indicating that most of its portfolio was built in the current growth window.
patent families: 13HEXAGON PURUS NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC
HEXAGON PURUS NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC holds 5 patent families, tied for second place with GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC. Its focus is differentiated: the top IPC concentration is H01M 50 (batteries and fuel cells, 5 records) rather than propulsion control, supplemented by B60L 50 and B60K 1. As a new entrant with 5 recent filings, it is building a battery-system-oriented position distinct from the propulsion-management emphasis of the leader.
patent families: 5| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| GM Global Technology Operations LLC | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| HEXAGON PURUS NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Volvo Truck Corporation | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches in braking control, steering, and drivetrain measurement
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant B60L propulsion cluster carry three or fewer records and low share within this corpus. These observations indicate relative sparsity; whether they represent viable entry points depends on each team’s technical roadmap and freedom-to-operate position.
B60T · Vehicle brakes & braking (regenerative and electro-hydraulic integration)
B60T carries only 3 records and a 4% share in this corpus — sparse for a branch directly relevant to heavy commercial drivetrains, where regenerative braking energy recovery is a meaningful efficiency lever. PACCAR INC is the one applicant with any B60T coverage (B60T13 and B60T17), suggesting the branch is largely uncontested. An entrant with electro-hydraulic brake-by-wire or regenerative braking integration IP could establish a differentiated position; the primary challenge is ensuring claims are tied specifically to the heavy-truck duty cycle rather than passenger-vehicle art.
Search this in Eureka →B60W · Hybrid/joint vehicle control (energy management and torque arbitration)
B60W holds only 2 records and a 3% share, despite energy management and torque arbitration being central to drivetrain efficiency in long-haul electrification. LCB International Inc. is the sole applicant with B60W10 coverage in this corpus. The sparse state of this branch suggests that algorithmic approaches to multi-source energy dispatch — combining traction battery, auxiliary power units, and regeneration — remain largely unpatented in the commercial truck context. Technical value is plausible given regulatory pressure on fleet efficiency; the entry path would require claims differentiated from the broader hybrid passenger-vehicle B60W art base.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ across technology routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B60L 50 · Electric vehicle propulsion | B60L 58 · Electric vehicle propulsion | B60K 1 · Vehicle propulsion & drive | H02J 7 · Power supply & grid systems | B60L 7 · Electric vehicle propulsion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEXAGON PURUS NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC | Strong · 4 | Moderate · 2 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent |
| GM Global Technology Operations LLC | Absent | Strong · 5 | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Absent |
| Volvo Truck Corporation | Absent | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 3 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 32 patent families in scope. This is a relatively small, specialized dataset reflecting a field that only began substantial activity around 2021.
HYROAD NETWORKS LLC leads with 13 patent families, more than double the next-ranked applicants. Its coverage is concentrated in electric vehicle propulsion (B60L 50) and power supply systems (H02J 7).
The field is classified as Growth stage. The recent three-year filing window is 90% above the prior comparable period on a multi-year basis, though annual volume peaked in 2022 and has eased since. The most recent years are further understated by publication lag, so the apparent post-2022 dip should not be read as a structural decline.
The United States is the dominant protection venue with 25 jurisdiction-level records. WIPO (PCT) has 3, Europe (EPO) has 2, and Canada and India each have 1. Coverage outside the US is limited for most existing families.
The most-cited patent titles cluster around electric vehicle battery frame assemblies, dual-loop liquid cooling of integrated electric drivetrains, and high-voltage electrical systems for battery electric vehicles. Battery pack design for utility vehicles also appears repeatedly among the top-cited references.
Only one co-applicant relationship is identified in the evidence: Seres Automobile Co., Ltd. and SF Motors Inc. jointly filed one patent family in the H02K (electric motors and generators) branch. All other applicants appear to file independently, suggesting cross-entity collaboration is not yet a feature of this field.
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Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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